Fbancis d



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f

FRANCIS D. BALLOU, OF ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS,` ASSIGNOR TO F. I).` BALLOU AND J. L. NASH, OF SAME PLACE.

MANUFACTURE 011".` BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,808, dated January 10.1860; Reissued April 20, 1869, No. 3,390.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS D. BALLOU, of Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Manufacturing Sewed Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a view of the bottom of a shoe with the heel and one-half of the outer sole removed, showing clearly the manner of securing the welt to the upper leather and to the inner sole of the shoe. This ligure also shows the manner of securing both welt and inner sole to the outer sole. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section taken through the shoe of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper leather of the shoe fitted and with the welt sewed to its edges. This figure shows the manner of presenting the upper to the sewing machine for stitching the welt on previously to lasting it.

Similar letters of reference indicate cor-y responding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention and improvement in making boots and shoes is to enable the manufacturer to perform the work, which is now done by hand, and to make the entire boot or shoe, by any ordinary sewing mechanism for carrying waxed thread, with the exception of putting on the heel which is a very simple and comparatively easy operation when the sole has been properly attached.

This improvement enables the manufacturer of boots and shoes to put together his work with great facility and as a great saving of time is accomplished, there will be less expense attending the manufacture of sewed shoes, and they may be furnished below the present market value of pegged shoes.

Another great advantage in my invention is, that the entire work of sewing about a boot or shoe can be performed in a neat and perfect manner by ordinary workmen and those unskilled in the present art of making boots and shoes, therefore the expense of workmen will be much reduced while the work can be made equal if not superior in strength and durability to those at present furnished to the market.

For the purpose `of effecting the aforesaid objects my invention consists in sewing the welt or strip of leather to the leather upper, which is previously fitted, as near the edge of the same as may be found necessary, before the upper is lasted. In this shapethe work can be presented to the sewing machine with great facility. The upper with the welt thus attached is lasted by tacking, pegging or nailing the edges of both, welt and upper, to the inner sole. The outer sole is then attached by vsewing through the edge of the welt and edge of the outer sole, as will be hereinafter shown, and the shoe is ready for trimming and finishing in the usual manner. The ent-ire work being done with the ordinary sewing mechanism in a neat and efficient manner.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand my invention I will roceed to describe my mode of making Eoots and shoes.

The leather upper, vamp A and heel portion B being properly cut out and fitted or stitched together at the sides as shown by Fig. 3, the welt C, which is simply a narrow trimmed strip of sole leather, is then laid upon the outside surface vof the upper with its thin edge even with the edge of the upper, and in this position it, the upper, is passed through the sewing machine and the welt stitched to it,4 the stitches running as near the edge as is found desirable. When this is done the upper with the welt stitched to it as shown by Fig. 3 is lasted in the usual manner, but the edges of the, upper and welt are pegged or nailed to the inner sole D as shown by Fig. l where a portion of the outer sole is removed. The tacks continue round the heel portion after they leave the welt and the entire upper is tacked or pegged before it is ready to receive the outer sole. `The advantage of thus securing the welt to the upper previous to lasting is, that when the stitching is done by sewing mechanism the operation can be accomplished with great facility and ease and the parts will be more securely attached, while at the same time the lasting of the upper can be effected by simply tacking or pegging both the welt and upper to the inner sole thus obviating the slow and ineiicient method of sewing through and through these parts with the hand, an operation which cannot be performed by machinery.4 It is important here to state that the present methodof securing the inner and outer soles to the upper of the boot or shoe is exceedingly tedious and laborious, and is the most difficult Work of all to be performed, While With my plan the Welt is not only stitched to the upper but additional strength A is given to the shoe by securing the Welt and upper tothe inner sole as above stated, and as shown by Fig. 2. pleted the lasting of the shoe the outer sole or soles as the case may be, is groove'd round the edge nwith a knife in the common Way and a portion of the leather raised as shown at X Fig. 2. The shoe is then passed through a sewing machine of a peculiar construction, for Which'I shall hereafter apply for a patent, and the groove is kept open Having thus com-- preparatory to lasting the same, thus enabling the Work to be performed byV sewing mechanism, substantially vinthe manner and for the purposes herein set'forth. c

FRANoIs D. BALLou.

v Witnesses: 1 Y JOSHUAL. NASH,

FREEMAN P. I OWLAND.l 

